Two Indiana County school boards meet tonight, including the Indiana Area board, which again has an agenda item regarding the elementary school project.
That agenda item is for approval of PlanCon Parts D and E, which deals with finalizing the Act 34 hearing that was held last month. Another item on the agenda is a motion to refer board member Walter Schroth’s elementary school alternative plan to the academic and building & grounds committees for further evaluation. Schroth’s plan, which was voted down by the board earlier this month, would maintain the current four-elementary school setup, with appropriate renovations, for ten to fifteen years until at least 2028, when he says the district would be better able to take on new debt.
The board also will handle some personnel matters, including the retirement notices of two teachers, one from the Junior High and one from East Pike Elementary, and there are other typical business items on the agenda.
The Marion Center school board also meets tonight, and will consider a motion to commit to not exceed the Act 1 index of 3.5 percent for any tax increase. That’s despite the district projecting lost real estate tax revenues of more than $202,000 due to Clean & Green enrollment and assessment appeals. As of now, Marion Center and every other school district in the county will have to deal with uncertainty over revenues and increasing obligations as it prepares for the adoption of a final budget later in the year.
